Chairwoman Rosenworcel Remarks to NTIA Spectrum Policy Symposium

At the Federal Communications Commission, we are focusing on five key principles to help guide our 5G future.

1. We are freeing up more spectrum—and especially mid-band spectrum—for 5G. I believe our pivot to mid-band spectrum will be a game changer for 5G in the United States. It will foster more competition, wider coverage, and better performance—and up next is our auction next month of prime mid-band spectrum in the 3.45-3.55 GHz band.
2. We are expanding the reach of fiber facilities. Our wireless networks will only be as good as the wired connections that help make them work. I’m particularly pleased that building more broadband is at the heart of the legislative discussions we are having about infrastructure in this county.
3. We are diversifying the equipment in our networks. This is how we will return the United States to a position of strength and leadership in the market for 5G equipment. Open and interoperable equipment is the future, and we are taking action to ensure that Open RAN technology is being built here and now.
4. We are building security and resiliency in our supply chains. We're taking direct action to keep untrusted equipment and vendors out of our networks. We are working on a program to replace this equipment to the extent that it is present in our domestic networks today. And we are making adjustments to the FCC’s equipment authorization process to help prevent insecure equipment from ever reaching our shores and to encourage better security practices across the board.
5. We are fostering American leadership in setting the technology standards of the future. I believe it is imperative that the United States government invest the resources necessary to lead in international standards development processes because when we do, we can lead the world. Greater participation in these efforts means more innovation at international scale and broader support for the democratizing possibilities of access to modern communications.